Dear colleagues, partners, and friends,
We are in a moment of profound change as a nation. In 2025 we have seen a stark shift in policies, priorities, and funding from this federal administration that has impacted every level of government, all types of institutions, and, many individuals and families from our most vulnerable communities across the US.
This new reality raises important questions about how we — as advocates, community members and institutional leaders — show up to protect our rights while re-evaluating how to dismantle systems that underpin the pervasive harms of structural discrimination and racism. At ChangeLab Solutions, we aren’t backing down. We are continuing to collaborate with partners to further legal and policy solutions that address the drivers of inequities, rebalance power and resources, and institutionalize governance with community at the center of decision-making.
As we prepare for the new year, I’ve spent time reflecting on how the challenges of 2025 have offered critical insights and instruction on how we evolve, innovate, and approach the current state of law and policy in service of health, equity, and community power. These reflections come from gatherings and meetings with community organizers and leaders, funders, nonprofit and government staff, and ChangeLab’s own multi-disciplinary team of staff and board members.
Communities around the country are coming together in truly creative ways that offer a powerful response to the current climate of turmoil and uncertainty. Personally, the more that I’ve connected with leaders and advocates, the more hopeful I’ve become.
Communities Are Acting with Resolve Amid Uncertainty
This year, ChangeLab Solutions hosted five in-person gatherings across the nation as part of our Accelerating Policy Change (APC) series. Our goals for these gatherings were to increase knowledge and capacity to use the tools of law and policy, deepen relationships across sectors, and support strategic action for local policy change. What I observed from meeting colleagues face-to-face was both grounding and encouraging.
At every event, I heard from colleagues in public health departments, health care institutions, and community-based organizations across an array of issue areas who are wrestling with political uncertainty and funding challenges. For many organizations confronting systemic health inequities, this is a critical moment to recommit to their missions. For other community health advocates, there is great concern about the consequences of the public health and civil rights rollbacks on the historically marginalized communities they serve. Despite the expressed fear and uncertainty, I was continually inspired by the creative problem-solving, resilience, and unwavering commitment to community well-being from our colleagues around the country.
Advocates Want to Level-Up Strategies and Skills
In our conversations with peers and allies, I’ve repeatedly heard that “the game has changed”, as partners across sectors seek new skills and advanced strategies to meet this political paradigm.
Legal scholars, judges, and many others have voiced grave concerns over the actions of the current federal administration. A recent New York Times article included responses from more than 60 judges regarding recent Supreme Court decisions that enabled sweeping executive actions, such as deporting tens of thousands of people without due process; discharging transgender military service members; firing thousands of government workers; and slashing critical federal funding already authorized by Congress.
Faced with these largely unchecked abuses of power and the targeting of marginalized communities, advocates have shared uncertainty about how to fight back effectively. Without new counterstrategies, our country risks heading further in the wrong direction. That’s why we are committed to listening and acting on what we hear. We are evolving our work to meet the needs of our colleagues and partners. For example, we delivered timely legal analyses and hosted briefings with our Act for Public Health partners to help public health actors navigate emerging challenges in real time. We are expanding our recent skill-building trainings on finding and reading the law, with more trainings planned in 2026. And we are providing technical assistance to colleagues who joined our APC convenings, ensuring continued support beyond the event. We are grateful to our partners and contacts in the field who share their stories and invest their time to help inform and strengthen our work.
Connection Counters Cynicism
Bringing people together in 2025 was the right move. While it may have felt uncomfortable at first to travel amid so much chaos, the gatherings were restorative, inspirational, and a crucial step toward countering the isolation and cynicism that began to set in early in the year.
Participants at Accelerating Policy Change consistently shared that they built new relationships or deepened existing ones. Advocates around the country acknowledged that we must work more collaboratively, across siloes, and with consistency, to both defend and advance equitable policy change. And gathering to share the innovative work of organizations, community leaders, and government staff helped spark creative solutions for advancing change.
We know that 2026 will bring new challenges and new opportunities. Like so many of our partners across the country, ChangeLab is also balancing resource constraints, increased demands, and the dizzying effect of federal actions. Yet, we hold onto hope, we embrace our role as policy innovators, and we continue to rise and meet the moment together.
Connect With Us
Our work does not happen in isolation. If you have ideas for partnership opportunities, innovative policy implementation efforts, a community of practice, or need assistance moving your policy effort forward, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Please consider donating or offering other forms of financial support to ChangeLab Solutions. And thank you to all our current supporters who make it possible for us to provide the tools, trainings, and resources that help make policymaking accessible to communities across the country.
I look forward to working together in 2026 and beyond!
In solidarity,
Sarah de Guia, JD
CEO, ChangeLab Solutions